Brain

Scientists from Jerusalem and Duesseldorf have succeeded in generating induced pluripotent stem cells from a rare disorder called Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and to push these cells to become early neurons, revealing the mechanisms leading to the neurological phenotype observed in these patients.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- If you're a human who's really hungry, a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese or a nice juicy steak may really hit the spot. If you're a fruit fly, a nibble of yeast will do the trick.

Why do we - and those flies that sometimes inhabit our kitchens - seek out protein-full foods when we're running on empty? And what does that preference mean for the odds of living a longer life, whether it's measured in decades for a human, or days for a fly?

During the first year of life, the human brain doubles in size, and continues growing through adolescence. But sometimes, the loosely connected plates of a baby's skull fuse too early, a disorder known as craniosynostosis. Variants of this disorder can produce facial and skull deformities, and put potentially damaging constraints on a young brain.

Most people remember where they were when the twin towers collapsed in New York ... new research reveals why that may be the case.

A study led by the University of Edinburgh has shed new light on the biological mechanisms that drive the process, known as flashbulb memory.

The research involving mice reveals how attention-grabbing experiences activate a specific area of the brain, which then releases memory-boosting chemicals.

In the 1990s, it was common for Democrats to claim they had once campaigned for Republican Barry Goldwater. It was a way of affirming that they appealed to all Americans, but that they had matured intellectually. And an alarming number of Americans claim they have "Cherokee blood", so it's not really a surprise that Senator Elizabeth Warren invoked her minority status, even though she was clearly an elite white woman. After the Vietnam War, good luck finding a veteran who didn't claim they knew someone who acted out the movie "Platoon", or at least "The Deerhunter."

A UC Santa Barbara researcher studying how the brain uses perception of the environment to guide action has a new understanding of the neural circuits responsible for transforming sensation into movement.

"Mapping perception to a future action seems simple," UCSB neuroscientist Michael Goard. "We do it all the time when we see a traffic light and use that information to guide our later motor action. However, how these associations are mapped across time in the brain is not well understood."

PITTSBURGH -- An algorithm developed at Carnegie Mellon University makes it easier to determine if someone has faked an Amazon or Yelp review or if a politician with a suspiciously large number of Twitter followers might have bought and paid for that popularity

Iron is known to be toxic to brain cells, and tiny magnetic iron particles (magnetite) are thought to be involved in the development of neurological disorders. Now, for the first time, we have identified the abundant presence of these highly reactive particles in human brains.

Today's young millennial voters are seen as a key demographic for political victory in many races this fall. Now, new research suggests that millennials' political views differ significantly from young people from previous generations.

New research from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai using electroencephalography, or EEG, indicates that adults addicted to cocaine may be increasingly vulnerable to relapse from day two to one month of abstinence and most vulnerable between one and six months. The findings, published online today in JAMA Psychiatry, suggest that the most intense periods of craving for illicit substances often coincide with patients' release from addiction treatment programs and facilities.

Elementary school students with high levels of attendance in voluntary summer learning programs - defined as at least 20 days of a five- to six-week program - experienced benefits in math and reading, according to new RAND Corporation findings from the largest research study ever conducted on summer learning.

The antidepressant fluoxetine causes bone loss by instructing the brain to send out signals that increase bone breakdown, but a beta-blocker can intercept the signals, a new study in mice has found.

The study was published Sept. 5 in Nature Medicine.

The use of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a class of drugs broadly prescribed for mood disorders as well as for nonpsychiatric conditions, previously has been associated with an increased risk of bone fracture.

Medication is an important part of treatment for many patients with major depressive disorder, but the transition to antidepressants isn't always smooth.

It can take six weeks for a person to respond to pharmacotherapy. And with remission rates at about only one-third, the majority of patients with depression could also benefit from better overall response to medication.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Childhood depression can lead to social, emotional and academic setbacks during childhood and later in life. However, little is known about what contributes to children's developing depressive symptoms. Researchers from University of Missouri have determined that the level of language skills young children possess early in life can predict the likelihood they may experience depression.

Sept. 7, 2016

Feeling they are part of a group increased preschoolers' interest, success in STEM

Cultivating young children's interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics has become a leading educational priority, as experts predict that many future jobs will require substantial math and technology skills.